


you only love me when you're drunk

by bettersounds (thebadguyswin)



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, look I got bored and wrote this it ain't great but have fun with it, me i probably knew but forgot, y'all i just realised there's a mika song with a similar title/sentiment who the fuck knew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 14:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8404360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebadguyswin/pseuds/bettersounds
Summary: “Night night, Ty.” Josh breathed heavily. “Love you, my guy.”Tyler stopped in the open door way, one hand on the light switch. He looked at his best friend, curled up on his bed, reeking of alcohol and bad life choices.“Love you too.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by my inability to express emotions unless im heavily intoxicated

“You a good frien’.” Josh slurred. His breath was hot and acidic. “Sucha good frien’.”

“I know.” Tyler sighed.

Josh’s arm was slung over Tyler’s shoulder, and Tyler gripped Josh’s waist. They stumbled down the corridor towards Josh’s dorm room. Tyler was in a room five floors above, but the way Josh dragged his feet and slammed into walls without support meant he wouldn’t make it into his bed without help.

“I mean it.” Josh insisted, frowning and slapping his free hand against Tyler’s chest. “Bes’ friend I’ve ever had.”

“Thanks, Josh. Means a lot.”

“Good.” Josh smiled and giggled, like a child. “Good friend.” He repeated.

Tyler propped Josh up against the wall while he fumbled with the keys he’d fished out of his intoxicated friend’s pocket. Josh swayed on the spot, but remained vertical.

“In you go.” Tyler looped Josh’s arm back over his shoulders and shuffled sideways through the door.

Josh flopped onto the bed, immediately curling into the foetal position. Tyler worked to unlace Josh’s boots and pulled them off before wrapping his sheets over his body.

Josh stirred a little, mumbling at the disturbance and movement.

“You gonna be okay?”

Josh grumbled something unintelligible and nodded. Tyler poured a glass of water and put it by Josh’s bed, with some asprin from a drawer.

“Sleep well, Josh. Try not to be too fucked up in the morning.” Tyler went to the door.

“Night night, Ty.” Josh breathed heavily. “Love you, my guy.”

Tyler stopped in the open door way, one hand on the light switch. He looked at his best friend, curled up on his bed, reeking of alcohol and bad life choices.

“Love you too.” He whispered, turning off the light and locking the door behind him.

* * *

Three nights later, Josh was drunk again.

“This guy, right here.” Josh patted Tyler’s back. “S’my best friend.” He hiccupped.

Tyler smiled awkwardly at the group of relative strangers they’d found themselves talking too. He sipped at his drink, no alcohol, and nodded.

“S’my favourite person in the whole world. I love him to bits.” Josh laughed and nuzzled his head into Tyler’s neck.

Tyler’s breath caught in his throat. “Drunk you really does love me.” Tyler laughed.

“I do.” Josh smirked, then went to find another beer.

* * *

“Sorry Ty, I can’t come out tonight.”

Tyler nodded, listening to Josh’s voice down the phone.

“That’s cool man, you got deadlines. I understand.” Tyler forced a smile, even though he was sitting alone in his room, calling his best friend in his dorm room five floors below.

“At least you don’t have to deal with my messy drunk ass.” Josh’s laugh echoed around Tyler’s room.

Tyler snorted. “Yeah, I guess so. See ya tomorrow, anyway.”

“See ya, Ty.” The line went dead.

* * *

Halloween. Everyone had been playing drinking games, and having shots, and mixing drinks. Everyone was at least tipsy, including Tyler for once.

Costumes ranged from the well planned, to the last minute. Tyler was Frankenstein’s Monster, painted green and wearing a blazer. Josh had used up a month’s worth of toilet paper on his Mummy costume.

“We should play spin th’bottle!” Josh yelled, grabbing an empty vodka bottle from the counter and dropping to the middle of the floor with a _thump_.

Tyler groaned, but followed the lead of the others who heard Josh in sitting in a circle around the bottle.

Josh span it first, landing on some girl with brown hair and blue eyes and a cheery smile. They laughed as they clumsily kissed, teeth knocking together and no tongue.

A girl with ginger hair went next and a witch’s hat, and the bottle landed on a shy girl with glasses and cat whiskers painted on her face with black eyeliner, who blushed as their lips met.

One by one, each person in the circle span the bottle and kissed whoever it landed on. Some giggled and huffed in fake protest, some were eager and shared deeper kisses, some screwed up their faces and closed their eyes and pecked a kiss.

Then it was Tyler’s turn. His heart was beating too fast, and his face was warm and mushy from the effects of alcohol. Tyler span the bottle. It landed on Josh.

The circle erupted into whoops and shouts of surprised. Tyler’s face burned, and Josh laughed loudly.

Tyler shakily stood up, dusting off his jeans and waiting for Josh to meet him in the middle of the circle. Josh’s smile was wide as he reached Tyler. Josh took Tyler’s hands in his, looking deep into his eyes.

“S’just a game.” He giggled.

His breath stung Tyler’s nose. Josh’s face was close to Tyler’s now. So, so close. Tilted to one side. Tyler closed his eyes and let their lips meet. A few claps and jeers spread around the circle, but Tyler didn’t care for them.

He pressed his lips against Josh’s, returning the kiss. He thought he felt Josh smile, but he wasn’t sure. He felt Josh’s mouth open and his tongue slipped between Tyler’s lips. Tyler let it. Josh tasted like every drink he’d had that night.

By the time Josh pulled away, Tyler’s heart was hammering against his ribs. He blinked, aware that he was staring beyond Josh, in shock. He quickly smiled, laughing off his feeling of panic rising in his chest.

“See?” Josh grinned. “Jus’ a game.”

* * *

Two days before college was due to break up for the Christmas break, and Josh and Tyler were out once again. Someone on the fourth floor invited the whole block for a party.

Josh was going home the next day, leaving earlier than everyone else for a relative’s birthday. He was drinking orange juice.

Tyler, on the other hand, was drinking nothing but alcohol.

“Jooshh.” He whined, tugging at Josh’s sleeve. “Joshie.”

“What is it, Tyler?” Josh sighed, turning away from the girl with bleached hair and long eye lashes and gleaming teeth.

“You’re m’best friend.” Tyler pouted.

“That’s nice, Tyler.” Josh shook his head and continued his conversation with the girl.

Tyler frowned. “Love you, Josh.” He leaned on Josh’s shoulder.

Josh rolled his eyes. “Okay, buddy.”

Tyler’s face fell. He stood up straight, walking away sharply. Out of the dorm room, out of the corridor, up and up and up the stairs, until he reached the roof. Breathless and dizzy, Tyler pushed open the doors onto the rooftop and slumped against the wall.

Josh didn’t come to look for him. Tyler stayed up there until the sun glinted on the horizon and the stars faded. The alcohol started to wear off, and Tyler felt the cold on his skin. He stood up again, rubbing his arms, and went back inside. He walked the now deserted corridors until he reached his own dorm room.

Josh went home without saying goodbye.

* * *

NYE. Josh visited Tyler. He felt bad for not spending more time with him before end of the semester. Besides, Josh’s father was away on business, and his sister was spending the night with her boyfriend, so his mother and brother had found other things to do too. With Tyler living relatively nearby, spending New Year’s Eve with him seemed better than nothing.

Tyler’s parents left him alone most of the time. Not out of any sort of nastiness or mean spirit, they just didn’t want to disturb him. He was an adult, after all. When Tyler was home, he stayed in his room in the basement and worked a lot of the time. Or he wrote, or played around on an old keyboard he found in his wardrobe. An old Christmas present, if he remembered right. It didn’t matter, as long as he kept himself preoccupied.

Tyler wasn’t used to having a friend over. Maybe when he was younger and shared a room with his younger brother, and his mom would cook dinner for them after they’d spent all day cycling around the neighbourhood and playing in the yard. But not since he went to college and all his stuff got moved into the basement. His college friends were usually in college, after all.

Tyler really wasn’t used to having his new-found best friend over. His new-found best friend he’d been crushing on for six months, now. The new-found best friend who could be kind of a dick unless he’d had a few beers first.

Fuck.

“So what do you do around here for fun?” Josh lay on Tyler’s bed, one arm behind his head and the other holding his phone as he scrolled lazily through some social network feed.

Tyler shrugged. “Cinema, library, go for food. Depends.”

“Not gonna be able to do much like that tonight, huh?” Josh laughed.

“Probably not.” Tyler smiled, sitting at the end of the bed with his back against the wall.

Josh stretched his legs across Tyler’s legs. He put his phone down and smiled at Tyler. “I guess we’ll have to make our own fun then.”

* * *

 

Tyler had sneaked upstairs and swiped a bottle of something from his parents’ cabinet. It was sweet and stung his throat, but tasted okay mixed with coke. They sipped their drinks, careful not to have so much that the bottle was noticeably emptier and so they didn’t get noticeably drunk.

Tyler’s body felt warmer and looser, and he giggled at everything Josh said.

Josh ended up lying with his head in Tyler’s lap, looking up at him and smiling, rubbing his tummy and nestling against his chest.

“You’re pretty great, Ty.” Josh sighed. “Pretty darn great.”

Tyler laughed. “Boy, you must’ve got some extra drink when I wasn’t looking.”

Josh frowned. “Why d’you say that?”

“Because you’re only nice to me when you’re pissed.” Tyler ran his hands through Josh’s brown hair, tugging lightly at the loose curls.

“Not true.” Josh protested.

“Yuh-huh.” Tyler raised his eyebrows.

“Nuh-uh.”

“Don’t fight me on this, Dun.”

Josh pouted. “I’m nice to you other times.”

Tyler didn’t reply.

“Ty, come on. Am I mean to you?”

“You’re definitely… more appreciative of me drunk than sober.”

Josh sat up. “I didn’t think… I didn’t realise…” He tucked his legs against his chest and hugged his knees.

“It’s nothing.” Tyler sighed.

Josh stayed silent.

“Dude, really.” Tyler shoved Josh with his shoulder. “You’re a good friend. My best friend.”

Josh turned his head to look at Tyler. “Really?” A smile tugged at his lips.

“The very best.”

Josh hid his face in his knees. “You’re my best friend too.” He mumbled. “Like, ever.”

Tyler flushed red. “Good.”

Josh fell back against Tyler. “What’s the time?”

“11.57.” Tyler said after checking his watch. “Not long at all.”

Tyler and Josh watched the countdown on the TV in the basement. Crowds of people gathered in Times Square, hugging and cheering and waiting. Couples were latched onto each other, holding each other in their arms.

“Another year, another distinct lack of a New Year’s kiss.” Josh huffed.

“Not necessarily.” Tyler spoke before he even realised what he was saying.

Josh’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I… Uh… Never mind…” Tyler said quickle, avoiding eye contact.

“You wanna kiss at midnight?” Josh giggled.

“No! I mean, if you really wanted… but I was… kidding…”

Josh shuffled to kneel in front of Tyler on the bed. “Thirty seconds, Tyler. Do you want to?”

Tyler looked into Josh’s eyes. Deep, dark, brown. With flecks of green. “I…”

“Twenty seconds.” Josh’s face was closer to Tyler’s now.

Tyler swallowed.

“Ten…” Josh was biting his lip.

Tyler shifted to face his body towards Josh. “Five…” He whispered.

“Four…” Josh murmured.

“Three…”

“Two…”

Tyler pressed his lips against Josh’s.

The crowd on the TV burst into a cheer, the national anthem played, and fireworks started popping from the screen and from outside Tyler’s house.

Those weren’t the only fireworks that night. Tyler’s heart was thundering, his brain was in overdrive. Everything smelled, tasted, felt of Josh. He hadn’t even registered lying back and letting Josh climb on top of him and their tongues darted together.

Josh pulled away. “Happy New Year.” He smiled.

“Happy New Year.” Tyler laughed, reconnecting their lips.

“You still think I only like you when I’m drunk?” Josh breathed.

“I’m starting…” Tyler said between kisses. “…To think otherwise…”

Josh laughed. “Good.”


End file.
